Spring
by Shelby Erin
Summary: Lilah and Lindsey, partners again?
1. Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. Joss and Co. do. I'm just playing with them.  
  
Author: Erin  
  
Teaser: I'm trying something new. A Lindsey and Lilah story. Just something about those two... Anyway, Lilah has an adventure.  
  
The trimly dressed woman tapped one perfectly manicured nail on the armrest of her chair. Air travel was not on her list of favorite things. Sitting in a metal death trap thousands of feet above ground, relying on engines that were fueled by highly combustible liquid just didn't seem too smart. She'd much rather have driven. Well, at least the firm had gotten her a first class ticket. The smallish plane was mostly empty, thanks to the firm as well. Just her, Gavin and a few underlings. She had money on hand, to buy enough drinks to quash any un-ease. She chided herself inwardly. She ought not to be afraid of a stupid airplane flight. Really. She hadn't gotten where she was in life by being a pushover. Admitably, people regarded her as unapproachable and nasty. Lindsey had dubbed her the ice-bitch on wheels, and it had caught on. Of course, she'd returned the favour later by "accidentally" spilling coffee all over the Langdon contract he'd worked on all night. She had to smile at that. Lindsey was always good for a laugh. Her rivalry with him had been bitter, of course, but he was an enemy you could appreciate. Not like that incompetent moron Gavin.  
  
She glanced out the window. The sun was setting, and the colours spread out over the clouds like a rich tapestry. Beautiful. Suddenly, the plane gave a lurch. She frowned. Turbulence? But there was no announcement made by the captain. The plane lilted to one side. Ohhhh... not good. She struggled to her feet and, clasping the seats along the way, made her way to the cockpit. The door was open a crack and she stepped inside. There, where there ought to have been a pilot, sat a furry creature known as a werewolf.  
  
"Oh, well that's just great." The creature leapt at her. She calmly shot it in the foreleg, and it went down like a pile of bricks. Stepping around it, she made her way to the console. One look at all the switches and levers made it clear to her that there was no way she could land this alone. She turned to the radio and noted with frustration the nice chewed-through cord. She glared at the whimpering wolf. "Bad dog..." Suddenly, the plane rocked violently and began to fall. She could hear the frightened shouts of her colleagues, making their way to the front of the plane. Gavin made his way into the small room.  
  
"Lilah, what the hell is going on?"  
  
"We're crashing Gavin."  
  
"Yeah, I got that. But why?"  
  
"Maybe you didn't notice the werewolf with the shreds of a pilot's uniform on..."  
  
"So what do we do now? My cell phone isn't working..."  
  
Lilah frowned and glanced at her own. It read No Signal. "Huh. Well.... we're screwed..." Oddly, she felt very calm.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
Her head ached. Opening her eyes, she found herself looking at green grass, and torn metal. Was she in Hell? No... Hell hadn't looked anything like this the last time she'd done business there. Carefully, she sat up. The world immediately began to swim around her. Touching her fingertips to her temple, she felt a warm stickiness. Through her hazy confusion, she saw a small river not far from the crash site. The brunette began to drag herself slowly toward it. Finally, she reached the edge of the bank. The lawyer leaned forward to get a look at her reflection and in doing so passed out, toppling in. The current carried her battered form downstream.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
When Lilah came to her senses again, she felt warm. She was someplace soft and cozy. She could hear the nearby crackling of a fire. Opening her eyes, she allowed her gaze to travel around the room she found herself in. It appeared that she was in the master bedroom of a house built in log-cabin style. There was a stone wood-burning fireplace, in which a fire leapt cheerfully. Contrasting with the rustic building materials, the furniture was actually quite sophisticated. Black leather recliner.. expensive stereo system.... she noted the rich carpeting, and the silk sheets on the king sized bed in which she lay. A thick, warm down comforter was pulled up over her shoulders. She noted with some slight disconcertion that her wet clothing was gone, and she was covered in a long man's shirt, of deep blue flannel. She wondered if the guy who lived here was having an identity crisis. Really, was he country or city? She moved to sit up, but immediately laid back down, overwhelmed by dizziness and pain. So, where on earth was she? Not that she was going to complain about the accomodations. She was comfy enough, if she didn't move around. Now, if her host would just show himself...  
  
As if on cue, the bedroom door opened. A man walked in, carrying a cup of coffee. A very familiar man. She stared in disbelief. "Lindsey?"  
  
"Lilah." He looked at her. "What the hell are you doing so far from LA? Since when do you step outside your cushy little box?"  
  
His former partner glared at him. "I'm here to talk to a client. Not that it's any business of yours anymore."  
  
He took a slow sip of his coffee, just staring at her with that silent, icy look that he was so good at giving. Walking over to one side of the room, he sat himself down in a black leather chair. Then, he began to laugh. "Lilah... you haven't changed at all.... you're still an ice bitch on wheels..."  
  
"Why don't you come closer and say that?"  
  
"No, I prefer my coffee in the mug thanks."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." she replied archly.  
  
"I'm sure you don't."  
  
"So.... this is your place huh? Well, at least the furniture is nice... but really linds, a log cabin?"  
  
"I suppose you'd prefer a penthouse suite..."  
  
"With a great view."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "You're not going to find that here in Cafferton... Only about 20 000 people here."  
  
"I don't understand what it is with you and rustic. I mean, you're Ivy League educated for crying out loud."  
  
"And that means I have to be all suits and limos?"  
  
She tried to rise, in order to better get in his face, but instantly regretted it, sitting quickly back down. Lindsey set down his coffee and walked over to her.  
  
"You should stay still Lilah. You got hurt pretty badly, whatever it was that happened to you. I'd take you to the hospital, but if it's demon- inflicted, we'd have a hard time explaining it." He put one hand on her cheek and turned her head to the side, to look at the injured temple. She found herself wondering why it was that he was even bothering to help her.  
  
"Why are you helping me?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because we hate each other, remember?"  
  
"Well, yeah, there's that. But that was a while ago. We're not partners anymore, so I really have no reason to keep on hating you. More like a feeling of deep annoyance."  
  
"Yeah, what was with that? You were going to get the promotion, and then you just left. You had all that power at your fingertips, and you just take off."  
  
"Sometimes the price for power is just too high."  
  
"When did you get all high and mighty? You've been willing to do a lot of things for that power before."  
  
"When it went too far. Lilah, do you know where they got this?" he asked, holding up the replacement hand he'd been given. "They cut it off someone while he was still alive, and then left him to die, packed in a freezer."  
  
She looked at the hand, and then at him. "I don't understand Lindsey.... the firm has done a lot of things that people would call evil. Why was it this one that made you leave?"  
  
"Just the straw that broke the camel's back I guess. Killing someone for the sake of convenience. Anyway, why do you care that I left? I'd have thought you'd be dancing for joy."  
  
"I have to work with that idiot Gavin now. At least when you were around, things got done. With him it's all a big sideshow disaster."  
  
A slow grin spread over his face. "Oh my god... you actually miss me. The ice bitch was a heart ladies and gentlemen."  
  
Lilah glared at him. "Hey, shut up. I don't miss you, Stumpy." she replied, referring to the nick name she'd given him after Angel cut off his hand. "I miss productivity. It makes me look bad when he screws up."  
  
Still smiling, he shook his head and took a step back. "I'm going to go and get some fresh bandages." With that, he left the room.  
  
As soon as he was out of hearing range, Lilah's expression changed to one of surprise. "Oh my God.... I miss him!" She frowned. This was NOT something that she wanted to deal with. Getting caught up in the personal always detracted from the professional, and she couldn't afford that. She already had to work her ass off to get any respect from the men in the firm. Not like that was anything new. Throughout college, and even high school, she'd had to work twice as hard as the men around her to be considered even half as good. She'd learned that the best way to get what she wanted was to develop a tough skin, and a complete disregard for emotions and sentimentality. Of course, it did mean that her very nice apartment was always empty when she returned to it at night, and that she spent her holidays alone, reading or doing some extra work. But what did that matter? She was a successful, powerful woman who didn't have to rely on anyone to make her way in life. There wasn't anything else that she wanted. That she needed.  
  
She pulled the covers up over her head and clung to that thought, as though she might convince herself it was true. 


	2. A deal

Lindsey sat at his desk in the small den that acted as his study. He was trying to work on a case that was coming to court soon. Something about a car accident, and who was at fault. It was small stuff, nothing that he couldn't win with ease. Nothing challenging. His mind wandered to the brunette sleeping in his room. Now that was a challenge. He had no idea what he was going to do about this situation. He didn't really want her hanging around. She wasn't exactly trustworthy, nor was she the best of houseguests. She'd nearly decked him when he'd tried to help her with the bandages he'd brought for the wound on her stomach. Had told him to keep his dirty hands off. He'd replied that she shouldn't flatter herself, and it had only gone downhill from there. Eventually he'd made it out in one piece and had sequestered himself in the study.  
  
pHe wondered about the plane crash. She'd mentioned that the pilot had morphed into a werewolf, but that didn't make sense to him. As far as he knew, the firm was very careful about these things. It always had the plane and its staff checked out by some of its shamen, or by a witch. The higher-ups would have known about the were-wolf. The only conclusion he could come to was that the firm had sent Lilah and Gavin up in that plane only to crash. That was why he didn't just toss her out. Much as he would have liked to, he couldn't just leave her on her own, while injured, if the firm was trying to kill her for some reason. Sometimes this new conscience was a damned pain in the ass. With a slight sigh, he turned back to his work.  
  
P************************************************************************* ****  
  
pSome time later, Lilah woke again, and found that she could now sit up without the nasty whirling in her head. Very slowly, she got to her feet and staggered over to the ensuite bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she had to bite back a gasp. She looked terrible. Battered and bruised, she also had a large cut on her forehead, accompanied by a bump. She cursed. Noting her dry lips and throat, she decided to try and find her way to the kitchen. She'd get some water or, better yet, something harder.  
  
pShe carefully made her way into the hall and proceeded to the right, leaning on the wall for support. Yes, she could have just called Lindsey for help, but there was no way in Hell that she'd ever do it. She didn't need his help or anyone else's for that matter. She didn't rely on anyone. She hadn't for a long, long time.  
  
P************************************************************************* ****  
  
p"But mommy, why do you have to go out again?"  
  
p"Because Lilah. Mommy needs to spend time with adults."  
  
p"But mommy, why can't you spend time with me?"  
  
pThe blow was so hard and fast that she didn't even see it coming. The girl staggered back, craddling her face in her hand.  
  
p"Why do you always have to be such a selfish little brat?" snapped her mother. "I provide a roof over your head, and food for you, and you repay me by whining when I try to get a little pleasure for myself? You're such a little bitch. Now, stop your whimpering or I'll give you something to whimper about!" With that, the woman turned on her heel and left, off to meet her boyfriend of the month.  
  
pAlone for yet another night, the six year old girl went off to prepare her dinner, nurse her face, and soothe her heart.  
  
p************************************************************************* ***  
  
pLindsey could hear a strange kind of scraping, dragging noise in the hall. Furrowing a brow, he got to his feet, hoping it was his dog dragging out all the laundry again. Sometimes that damned dog drove him up the wall. We walked into the hall and was greeted by the sight of his former partner walking against the wall, toward the kitchen. She obviously wasn't up to being out of bed yet, but of course she hadn't deigned to ask for help. To his surprise, not only irritation, but concern nagged at him.  
  
p"Lilah, what the hell are you doing up? I thought the whole thing where you need to stay in bed was pretty clear."  
  
pFrowning, she looked at him. "Stop trying to push me around. I don't need you telling me what to do."  
  
pHe resisted the overwhelming urge to throttle the woman. "Lilah, you're hurt. If you don't rest, you're just going to make it worse."  
  
p"Lindsey, I am going to the kitchen. I am getting a drink, and then I am calling the office."  
  
p"Not going to happen Lilah."  
  
p"What, you're going to stop me?"  
  
pHis voice remained calm and even. "If need be, yes."  
  
pShe glared at him. "I'd kick your ass."  
  
p"No you wouldn't. You couldn't kick Gavin's ass right now, and that's saying a lot."  
  
pLilah had to smirk a little at that one. Gavin had been a windbag, all bluster and posing. Then she shook her head. No, she was pissed at Lindsey damn it. He wasn't supposed to be making her laugh. "I'm going in there and I'm calling home."  
  
p"That's not a good idea Lilah."  
  
p"What the hell do you mean it's not a good idea? They'll know about the crash. They'll think I'm dead."  
  
p"That's a good thing."  
  
p"Very funny Lindsey."  
  
p"Lilah, you don't want to go back there."  
  
p"Look Lindsey, if you're going to preach to me about how the firm is evil, and how I should leave it behind and live a better life and yada yada, I don't want to hear it."  
  
pGrabbing her shoulders, he pushed her back, pinning her to a wall. "When did you get so blind and stupid Lilah? Think about this. The firm hired out that plane exclusively for you and Gavin and the goon squad, right? And you know how paranoid the firm is. They check out everything Lilah. They'd have known about the pilot being a werewolf, but they still put you on that plane. They wanted you dead. So if you call them, they'll know you're alive, and they'll finish you off."  
  
pLooking at him, she tried to grasp what he was saying. It didn't make any sense. She hadn't screwed up big time, she'd carried out all her orders... No, he was just messing with her head. He had to be.  
  
p"I'm not buying it McDonald. I haven't done anything to piss them off. There's no reason that they'd want me dead."  
  
pHe sighed. "Lilah, you and I both know that the firm's motives are almost never obvious. Maybe they had some reason other than a screw-up on your part. Look. Give it one week. Just one week Lilah. By that time, if they really wanted you dead, you'll know. They'll have destroyed all the evidence of their connection to the plane and its passengers. And if I'm wrong about them, then you can call them and tell them that you were out of it all week. Or you can tell them that you had amnesia. I don't care. But give it time."  
  
pA wave of dizziness nearly knocked her off of her feet. "Fine." she agreed, not really feeling up to continuing the debate. "Now let me go."  
  
pHe stepped to one side, releasing her shoulders, but took a hold of her upper arm, in order to help her to the kitchen.  
  
p"Let go of me... I don't need your help."  
  
p"You don't know where I keep the liquor."  
  
p"Right. Good point. Ok, fine. Lead on McDuff."  
  
/body 


	3. Striking out

WARNING: This chapter deals with mature issues, including abuse.  
  
Part 3  
  
Sitting on the dark, wooden chair she let her cool gaze wander over the room. There wasn't much to it. A table with two chairs, a stove, a fridge. Not too many cupboards but then a man living alone didn't really need much food storage. She watched as her former partner went over to one of those cupboards and pulled out a whiskey bottle. Then, after considering for a moment, he replaced it and withdrew some scotch instead. Lilah smirked a bit. He knew her tastes. She couldn't help but wonder why he'd  
  
bothered to learn them.  
  
As he poured the liquid into two separate glasses, Lindsey frowned to himself. Genius that he was, he'd just condemned himself to a week with Lilah as a houseguest. He'd moved all the way to Oklahoma to get away from everything to do with Wolfram and Hart, and now it was here, personified in his kitchen in the form of the heartless ice queen known as Lilah. Lilah, who could care less how many people were trampled over, maimed, or killed, just so long as she came out ahead of the game. She'd been that way  
  
for as long as he'd known her, back when they were first signed on with the firm. Hell, she'd probably been born a bitch. So why had he asked her to stay? Probably some kind of warped sense of duty. Maybe his subconscious was trying to make up for the evil  
  
he'd perpetuated as a part of Wolfram and Hart by saving someone from them. The fact that the someone was Lilah was just icing on the Karmic cake. He carried the glasses back to the table and set one in front of her, then sat down in the opposite chair.  
  
Lilah took the drink between her two hands and stared into it for a moment, assessing her situation. She hated to admit it, but Lindsey had a point. She was too badly injured right now to go off on her own, and it was very possible that the firm wasn't the  
  
safest place to go right now. She took a sip of her drink, hoping to soothe her frazzled nerves. Alcohol could usually calm her in any situation. It was just taking more and more of it lately. She noted the warm flannel sleeves in which her arms were encased.  
  
"Lindsey?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How exactly did I end up in a flannel shirt?"  
  
"Don't get worked up over it Lilah. The girl next door did that." he shook his head. "You're really paranoid. Course, that's nothing new." He looked at her. "I'll bet you were born with an innate distrust of men."  
  
Sipping her drink, she made no reply.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The footsteps on the stairs were loud and heavy. He was obviously drunk again. The sixteen year old sighed. For four years, it had been the same thing. Her mother would go to work at the club, and her stepfather would go to the bar and come home pissed out  
  
of his mind. At first, she'd tried locking him out, but he'd just jimmy open the door. She'd tried pretending that she was asleep, but that hadn't stopped him from putting his filthy hands on her either. Of course, she'd tried to tell her mother, but she'd just been called a little slut, and been accused of trying to seduce her mother's husband. The bruises had lasted for over a week. So, once again, she was stuck dealing with things on her own.  
  
The door to her bedroom opened, and the tall man lurched inside, stumbling over to the side of the bed. As he leaned over her, she could smell his sour breath, and hear his laboured breathing. Strong hands pinned her arms to either side of her, and she felt his  
  
weight move over her. She closed her eyes and fought the churning sensation in her stomach as he moved one hand down to his belt, to begin the sweaty ritual that inevitably took place every time they were alone. This time though, something in her snapped.  
  
She was tired of being used, and she was tired of the pain and the dirty feeling. With the hand that was now free, she slammed her knuckles into his temple. He bellowed in pain and rolled to one side, holding his head in his hands. The girl leapt forward and raked  
  
her nails down his face, leaving deep grooves which immediately began to ooze blood. There was a loud snarl from the drunken man as he dealt her a vicious backhand that sent her sprawling to the floor. She got to her feet and made a mad dash for her dresser. Just as he grabbed her from behind, Lilah's fingers closed around a sharp letter opener that she kept on top of the dresser.  
  
With all the strength she possessed she rammed the sharp end of the opener behind her, into his exposed abdomen. His grip on her slackened, and he tumbled to the floor, curled up in a ball. Not hesitating, she dealt him a vicious kick to the ribs. When he groaned, but did not rise, she bent over him and plucked his wallet from his jeans pocket. Quickly, she dashed over to her closet and threw some clothes into a shoulder bag. Then, without a single glance back, she fled into the night.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Lilah. Lilah, wake up." Her shoulder was being gently shaken. Slowly, grudgingly, she opened her eyes. As her vision cleared up, she saw Lindsey standing by the bedside.  
  
"What do you want, besides to wake me up?"  
  
"While you were sleeping I got you some clothes. I figured you wouldn't want to keep running around in one of my shirts."  
  
Sitting up, she looked at him. "How long was I out for?"  
  
"A few hours. Could be because you drank about half my scotch."  
  
"I don't know what you're whining about. It wasn't very good scotch anyway."  
  
He shook his head and deposited a shopping bag on the bed. "Do you even have it in you to be nice on occasion?"  
  
"Nope. Not part of the package."  
  
"I've noticed."  
  
"Where's your shower?"  
  
"Down the hall, third door on the left."  
  
Without another word, she got to her feet and headed to the shower, taking the shopping bag along. Lindsey was left alone in the room. He glanced down at his dog, who had followed him in. "You know, why don't I just get a cat? At least they're not as noisy as her, and they don't drink all my alcohol."  
  
The dog just scratched his ear.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The clothes fit her perfectly. Not only that, but they were well made, and in a style that was very flattering on her. She noticed that he'd included a hairbrush in his purchases. Shrugging, she began to brush out the tangles in her dark hair. If he wanted to blow his money on her, he was more than welcome to do it. He was just helping her because of some guilt complex anyway. He was just trying to right his awful wrongs and all that crap. It didn't really matter what happened with her, so long as he was able to assuage his poor little conscience. All he was doing was using her. But that was fine, because she was getting something out of it in return. Besides, she wouldn't be here long. There was no way that she would let herself depend on him, or rely on his charity. If it was true that she couldn't go back to the firm, then she would just find a job elsewhere. She had credentials and the kind of attitude that would get her anywhere she wanted to be. Cutthroat ruthlessness. Yeah, that made her a bitch on wheels, but it also made her  
  
successful. She'd never have to worry about taking crap from anyone again, and she could be her own person now. Couldn't she?  
  
Enough of the deep sentimentality. She ran the brush through her hair one last time, then went looking for Lindsey.  
  
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	4. Beginning

Part 4  
  
Lindsey sat at his desk, trying to get some work done. Understandably, he'd been having a bit of trouble getting around to it lately. He couldn't, however, keep putting it off, so here he was. After much effort, he was finally beginning to immerse himself in the task at hand. It was a talent that he had, being able to zone in completely on the job. Once he entered his particular work zone, he could get massive amounts of work done, without needing to stop.  
  
"I'm bored. Give me something to do."  
  
Moderately annoyed, he looked up at the intruder. "Lilah, I'm working."  
  
"I noticed. But I'm still bored."  
  
He resisted the urge to growl at her. "Lilah, I have more important things to do than to baby-sit you..."  
  
"Well, if you give me something to do, then I won't bother you anymore."  
  
"You bother me when you breathe Lilah. Look, why don't you take those" he pointed to a stack of papers "and file them then?"  
  
"Do I look like a secretary to you?"  
  
"There's always dishes to do..."  
  
"Hello filing." She picked up the papers and headed to the filing cabinets.  
  
He watched her for a moment. Ever since they'd met, she'd had little tolerance for sitting around and doing nothing. For some reason that woman always had to be doing something. He supposed that she wanted to make sure that people saw her as a competent businesswoman. It was true that women still did have to work a lot harder than men to get even half the amount of respect that was accorded to men. But Lilah, she was obsessed. Everything she did was in effect an act designed to advance her position, or increase her power within her environment. Had she always been that way? If so, he couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for her. She'd never have had a life. Just a set of goals. She probably had no one in the world but herself.  
  
"Ow! Goddam paper cuts.... Lindsey, your filing cabinet ought to be condemned!"  
  
Then again, her sparkling personality probably came in to play too....  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
"Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty... That's it? Limo-riding, champagne- drinking, model-humping loser carries eighty friggin' bucks? Damn..." The angry brunette ran one hand through her long hair. Rent was going to be tight this month. Of course, that was nothing new. Maybe it was time for a change of tactics. But she had such easy prey right now. Men were so stupid. Show them a bit of leg, pay a couple of compliments, and they were putty in her hands. Finally, men were making a worthwhile contribution to her life. Of course, that's because now she was the one in charge. She was the one using them. All it took was a pretty smile and some crushed up sleeping pills slipped into their drink. She wasn't terribly worried about being reported to the police. Her victims were carefully chosen. All of them were arrogant, chauvinistic bastards whose pride would never allow them to admit that they'd been duped by a woman.  
  
Tonight's haul was pretty pitiful, but at least it would buy her groceries. Fleetingly, she wondered what was going to happen when she grew older, and her looks failed. Of course college was out of the question. She just didn't have the finances. Becoming some kind of gold-digging trophy girlfriend would likely solve that, but she wasn't going to depend on some man, and play sex-bunny for him. As she sat counting the money at her tiny kitchen table, a voice spoke out to her.  
  
"Lilah Morgan.... do you want power Lilah?"  
  
"Huh? What the hell?" She turned her head and saw a tall man in a dark suit standing in her doorway. "Who the hell are you and how did you get into my kitchen?" She rose from her seat, glaring at the intruder.  
  
"I represent Wolfram and Hart. We're a law firm that deals with... well, special interest clients, so to speak. Tell me, do you want the power to get whatever it is you want, from anyone you choose? To make the world tremble at your feet?"  
  
Frowning, she replied "And just how do you plan to give me this power?"  
  
The man smiled, looking amused. "The firm has connections like you wouldn't believe."  
  
"Uh-huh. And you chose me to give all this power to because...?" she prompted.  
  
"We see potential in you Lilah. We see a woman who will be willing to do what it takes to ensure her own future. We like that in our employees."  
  
"Well, that's too bad. No degree, so I doubt you'll be able to give me a job."  
  
"The firm is willing to cover the cost of educating you. We can guarantee you an Ivy League education."  
  
"Right. And what's this going to cost me?"  
  
"Only your soul."  
  
Smirking, she replied, "I lost that a long time ago."  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Amazing. In less than two hours, the woman had completely reorganized his filing cabinet. It had gone from being a disaster zone to being impeccably neat, and organized by multiple levels of categorization. Which meant that it would take him forever to figure out where everything was. Lindsey knew though that she hadn't done it to screw up his system. She'd done it to improve efficiency. Lilah wasn't really the type to screw you around if she didn't have something to gain from it. It wasn't worth wasting her conniving cleverness on someone or something that didn't matter.  
  
With a shrug, he closed the drawer and headed into the kitchen. It was beginning to get late. He rummaged in the refrigerator for something to make for dinner, but couldn't find anything. Once again, he'd neglected to go grocery shopping. That was one of the disadvantages to running his own office. His time was usually so fully consumed that he forgot about things like food, and oh, sleep. The work wasn't especially difficult, but having to do all of it alone was definitely pushing his limits. He'd maybe have to find someone to partner up with. With an aggravated sigh, he shut the door. It looked like they'd have to go out for dinner tonight. He made his way into the living room, where the brunette was flipping through the newspaper.  
  
"Lilah? There's no dinner food. We're going to have to go to a restaurant."  
  
Frowning, she looked at him. "Lindsey, I'm covered in black and blue bruises here... probably gonna draw some negative attention."  
  
"Well, it's that or we don't eat."  
  
"Alright... but I'm not going to a steak house."  
  
"That's because you have no taste in food."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It means that you consider some pieces of raw fish and cup of tea to be a meal. Raw fish, Lilah."  
  
"What, so steak and potatoes are haute-cuisine?"  
  
"At least they're real food."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Fine... how about Chinese food then? I've seen your desk covered in Chinese take-out boxes before. Sometimes you're a real slob."  
  
Declining to rise to the bait, he simply nodded. "Alright. There's a good Chinese place about 10 minutes from here. We should go now though. They're usually pretty busy this time of night, so it'll take a bit to get a table." With that, he headed outside, with Lilah following close behind. When they reach the driveway, she made a face.  
  
"You still have that monstrosity that you call a truck?"  
  
"Do you want to walk to the restaurant Lilah? Because I'll gladly leave you to your own devices if you insult the truck again."  
  
Without further ado, she climbed inside and they were off.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
"You're sure that's her?"  
  
"Yep. She matches the photo exactly. Well, 'cept she's got a lot more bruises."  
  
"Who's that guy she's with?"  
  
"Dunno. Looks kinda familiar. Figure we should deal with him too?"  
  
"That's not in our orders."  
  
"Yeah, but we don't wanna leave any loose ends. You know those business types hate that."  
  
"Guess it can't hurt to be careful." The blonde man dug into his sweet and sour pork. "I just can't believe that after all the lookin' we did, we run into her while we're gettin' dinner."  
  
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth Reg. Doesn't matter where we found her, just that we did find her. Now we can finish the job and get our pay. 'Bout time too. I've got some bills to pay."  
  
"So we wait until they leave? Tail them?"  
  
"Yeah, good idea. Don't wanna have any witnesses."  
  
A few tables away, Lindsey glanced up from studying his menu and frowned. He was sure that he recognized the two men sitting at the corner table. Where had he seen them before? Oh yeah. They were hit men that he'd hired for the firm to take care of a problematic group of Ragna demons. As he recalled, they'd been very good. Efficient at their work. Now, what were they doing all the way out here, unless... He glanced at Lilah. Bingo. Somehow, the firm knew that she was still alive and had sent someone to finish her off. He resisted the urge to get up and get her out of the restaurant. It was better to wait here, where there were people, until he could come up with a plan. It was better to wait here, where there were people, until he could come up with a plan. It was best not to go back home until he could lose them. But where else could they go? Of course, the easiest solution would just be to let them have her. But that wasn't how he did things anymore. Some tiny part of him suggested that maybe he also just didn't want Lilah to die, but he quickly squashed it with a practiced ease.  
  
Lilah could feel eyes burning into the back of her neck, and she noticed Lindsey glance casually at something or someone behind her. When he made no move to comment on what it was that he saw she rose and made her way to the ladies' room, which was behind them. This gave her a chance to look around, and she didn't like what she saw. Two men were sitting at the table in the corner. Two men whom she'd seen before in the offices of the firm. Why hadn't Lindsey made her aware of them? For one moment, the more suspicious part of her mind whispered to her that it was because he didn't care if she were to be killed. She shushed it, reminding herself that Lindsey was the one who had warned her not to call the firm when she'd first awakened, and that he was letting her stay in his home instead of kicking her out to fend for himself. Yes, it was merely something he was doing so he could feel like a good guy for once, but it also meant that he didn't want her dead. But if he was a good guy now, wouldn't he consider her to be one of the bad guys? Or was she now one of the victim types, since Wolfram and Hart had set its sights on her.  
  
She shuddered at that thought. One thing that she couldn't tolerate was to be seen as a victim. Being perceived as unable to protect herself, or to accomplish her own goals was something of a nightmare to her. She'd never allow herself to be put into that position again. She'd never let herself be the weak one, who got used and abused. Damn him anyway. Why was he getting to her like this? Why did she care about what he thought of her? She washed her hands in the cold water of the sink, scrubbing the skin of her hands clean, and it was as though she was trying at the same time to cleanse her mind of the troublesome thoughts that were beginning to sprout within it. 


	5. Escape?

Part 5

Her high heels clicked softly along the pavement as they hurried toward the truck. A light rain had fallen while they'd been in the restaurant, and the chill and the damp lent a dreariness to the night. Stepping into the cab, she shut the door and waited for Lindsey to climb in. Lilah drummed her long red nails along the dash as she mulled over what to do. It wouldn't be wise to return to his somewhat isolated home. Not only would they be leading the killers right to his door, which could cause him later difficulties, but there wasn't much of a possibility of summoning help quickly should the need arise. Oh course, given the nature of their problem, they may not be able to call the police anyway. How would they explain that hired hit men from an evil law firm were out to kill her? 

They drove out of the parking lot and out onto the slick, black road. Mere moments later, a set of headlights appeared behind them. Lindsey glanced into the rear-view mirror and noted a battered-looking blue Chrysler. The men were following them, which was to be expected. He wouldn't, of course, be able to return to the house. They would be much too isolated there. However, they would eventually have to rest. That would mean that they'd most likely have to find a hotel for the night. Well, that was just perfect. It was bad enough that he had to share a house with his former co-worker. Now he'd be stuck in a space the size of his living room, with only a tiny wall dividing his space from hers. If they didn't kill one another, or go completely insane, it would be a miracle, he thought. 

Well, there wasn't much time to bemoan the situation right now. For the moment, he needed to focus his attentions on losing their pursuers. They were wll trained in their line of work, but he had the advantage of knowing the area a lot better than they did. He glanced at the time and smiled slightly. If he played his cards right, he might just lose them. Taking a left turn, he came onto a long, flat stretch of road. He pressed down hard on the gas and the truck flew along the pavement. Their pursuers increased their speed in kind. 

Lilah looked down the road ahead of them. "Uh, Lindsey? There's a railway crossing up ahead." She appeared disconcerted when he seemed to be ignoring her words. "Lindsey, the lights are flashing. There's a train coming." The truck did not slow, instead coming even closer to the tracks. Glancing to her left, Lilah saw something that made her pulse quicken. The train was barrelling down the line toward them at an alarming rate. Lilah closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the impact. It never came. She felt the double thump of the tires travelling over the track and then nothing. A faint squeal of brakes made itself heard over the roaring and clattering of the massive locomotive, and then died away, replaced by the click-clack of freight cars. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The vehicle and its occupants appeared to be completely intact. She craned her neck in order to look behind them. The train completely blocked the pursuers from view, and from further pursuit for the time being. 

A grin slowly spread over her face. They were alive and they'd lost the hired killers, at least for now. And it had all been like something out of a bad work of fiction. "I have to admit McDonald, that was pretty damn cool. Who would have thought that you had it in you?" The only reply he gave was a small smirk. 

***************************************************************************** 

Taking no chances, Lindsey drove to a small motel, located off the highway. He parked the truck and hopped out. Frowning, Lilah exited from her side and joined him. 

"Lindsey, this place is a dump." 

He looked at her. "Yeah. But it's out of the way, and there are people around. So we're staying here. If you don't like it, you can leave. It would save me a lot of trouble anyway." 

"Wouldn't want to do that." She smirked. "I much prefer causing you grief." 

Rolling his eyes he headed for the small motel office. "Tell me something I didn't already know." He opened the rusting screen door, causing the chimes attached to it to jangle. The elderly man behind the counter glanced up at them. 

"Kin I help ya?" 

Lindsey nodded. "We need two rooms." 

"Ain't got 'em." 

Lilah frowned. "Then why did you bother to ask if you could help us?" 

"Figger'd ye'd only need one room." 

The insinuation behind his statement temporarily left her deep in pool of mixed reactions. Part of her wanted to laugh at the geezer, and tell him how ridiculous the mere thought of her and Lindsey as a couple was. Another part of her was livid that the first thing the man had seen when he looked at her was yet another woman, clinging to her man in some pathetic attempt at eking out an existance. A third and final part of her lurked deep in the corners of her mind. It tugged at the edges of her conscious thoughts, barely a whisper, yet present all the same. The other voices in her mind worked to shush it, her inner defenses automatically coming into play. It was a feeling of curiousity. A thought of "what if". 

There had of course been men in her life. She was an attractive, healthy woman, with normal appetites. However, most of them had meant nothing. They'd been pawns, there for her use. A means to an end for the most part. She had no qualms with stepping on whomever she had to. It was survival of the fittest, and she had to look out for her own best interests. There'd been a time when she'd been naive enough to believe that other people would be willing to care about her, but she'd learned all too well that there was no one on whom she could truly depend. 

***************************************************************************** 

Campus was a bustling hub of students strung out on coffee and sleep deprivation. Everywhere, men and women had spread out textbooks, notes, study guides and Starbucks cups in a frantic final cramming session. A table on the second floor of the library was occupied by a young brunette, her expression as serious and severe as her attire. At the top of her class, she focussed nearly all of her time and energy on her studies. This was reflected in her perfect marks. Now, all of her hard work was drawing to a close. Tomorrow, the bar exams were taking place. Aided financially by Wolfram and Hart, she'd endeavoured in earnest, and completed her courses with record speed and success. Of course, she'd been required to sign a contract with the firm, agreeing to work for them immediately upon completing her schooling. Such thing were to be expected however. It didn't bother her all that much, because she knew that it was a step up for her, and that with the right combination of determination and hard work, she'd go far in her chosen career. 

The one break that she allowed herself from her work was Devon. Devon had been in one of her very first classes. At first, she'd disdained him like any other man, regarding him as below her attentiong. But something was different about him. He'd treated her with nothing but respect, and was always the first to support her when someone questioned her work. He let her know that he believed her to be someone who was highly intelligent, and who had an amazing amount of strength. Devon had never criticized her, and he'd never made her feel worthless in any way. The pair had worked together on numerous projects. Slowly, he'd made his way under her skin, his compliments and respect begining to soothe some of her old wounds. It was the first time that she could remember anyone taking a sincere interest in her as a person, and recognizing her abilities. A slow smile crept over her face as she thought about him. Standing, she made her way toward a shelf in order to get another book. From the stacks, she could hear a familiar voice. She began to make her way toward the sound when she heard a female voice pipe up. 

"Devon, I'm getting really tired of all this..." the woman stated. 

Lilah paused, remaining hidden on the opposite side of the bookshelf by which Devon and his companion were standing. 

"I know Alyson, I know. But I told you, it's only another couple days. I've got one more study session with her tonight, and then tomorrow is the exam. You know that I need her to study with. I mean, it's only because I was working with her on most projects that I'm passing right now." 

Alyson sighed heavily. "I know. I just want to be able to be with you like any other girl is with her guy, and not have to hide it from the stupid bitch." 

Laughing, Devon replied "Don't worry baby. After tomorrow, she's gone. I won't need her anymore." 

"Do you promise?" 

"I promise." 

Further conversation was cut off as the two locked themselves in an embrace. Stunned and sickened, Lilah crept away from the scene, cursing herself for her foolishness. At a later point in time, she would use her new-found power at Wolfram and Hart to destroy Devon's chance at a career in law by erasing all records of his degree, and replacing them with a false arrest warrent. And she would renew her vow never to let anyone near her heart again. Never again would she ever be stupid enough to be convinced that any man could be different. 


	6. Delving

Part 6

  
  
  


As the former co-workers entered their hotel room, Lilah's expression shifted to one of disgust. She eyed the ratty, faded wallpaper, and the carpet that had been stained by God only knew what. The ancient furniture looked like it would topple over if one were to blow on it. "Huh" she remarked. "Charming." 

Lindsey rolled his eyes. True, it wasn't exactly a five-star hotel, but he'd seen worse. Namely, his own home as a kid. Six kids in a one bedroom slum tended to give you a different perspective on things. Of course, Lilah was a creature of luxury. She probably didn't have a clue how lucky she was to at least have a roof over her head. More likely than not, she'd been one of those kids whose mommy and daddy had paid her way through school. Sighing, he shook his head and sank into one of the two wooden chairs that sat in the room. An ominous creak rose up from it but, surprisingly, it held together. 

"Lilah, we really don't have a choice", he began. "It's either hide out in this dump, or get shot. I don't know about you, but I'm not entirely eager to be pushing up daisies just yet." 

"Fine. But I'm taking the bed." 

"Right. And I'm supposed to sleep in the bathtub I suppose?" 

"If you feel so inclined. Of course, the floor is an option too." 

"How about you take the floor and I'll take the bed." 

She frowned at him. "I thought you were one of the white hats now. Aren't they supposed to be all chivalrous?" 

"Only toward ladies, and I don't see any of those around." 

"How droll." She removed her high heeled shoes and lined them neatly by the door. "Alright, fine. How about we take shifts? We should be watching out for those guys anyway. Then we can both use the bed." Eyeing said piece, she wondered if that would really be a privilege. The comforter looked well-worn, even threadbare in some places, and the headboard was chipped. 

Nodding in agreement, Lindsey picked up a piece of paper that had lain on top of the tiny table. He scanned it, discovering that it was a room service menu. Room service? Here? On the back side of the menu there was a drink list. Now there was an idea. If he was going to be stuck in a room with Lilah, he might as well try to dull the sensation of it a little. 

Meanwhile, the object of that thought was exploring the drawers of the small armoire that sat by the bed. She tugged on the first one but it remained tightly closed, having long ago warped beyond repair. With a shrug she opened the second. Inside were a bible and a deck of cards. She picked up the cards and set them on the bed. The bible she left where it lay. She hadn't read one of them in a long time, and this was not the night that she intended to start. It wasn't that she didn't believe, exactly. It was just that allowing herself to delve into morality just made her job more difficult. When you didn't question your actions, you were better able to carry them out. There were times that the brunette felt twinges of doubt over an assignment, but she did her best to firmly reign in those twinges. It was her or the world, and she preferred to look after herself first. 

***************************************************************************** 

A pair of jacks stared up at him from his hand. They were slightly hard to focus on, but that was probably just because of the alcohol. Not that he'd had all that much. Lindsey didn't enjoy being overly drunk, and mostly saved such a state for bigger things, like unrequited love for blonde vampiresses who barely realized he was alive. The young lawyer glanced across the small table at the other player. Lilah certainly had a good game face, he had to give her that. Most people would have been completely fooled by her demeanor. He, however, was not. Smiling inwardly, he set his cards down, enjoying her stifled sigh of frustration. 

"How did you know I was bluffing?" she demanded. 

Shrugging, he replied "You're not as mysterious as you like to think. I can tell when you're lying." 

"What are you talking about? I'm an excellent liar." 

"No you're not." 

This was beginning to be less fun, she decided. They had begun the impromptu poker game about an hour ago, out of sheer boredom, and she'd been continually losing to him. Lilah couldn't quite grasp why that should be so, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she was slightly drunk. Maybe that was the problem. 

"I," she began, rousing up all the dignity she could muster "make my living out of lies. For the most part, it works out for me. You're just lucky tonight is all." 

Tilting his head slightly to the side, he looked at her for a moment. "No... I've always been able to read you." 

"You think so? I'd be willing to make a bet with you that you don't know me nearly as well as you think that you do." 

"I know that you're a spoiled snob." 

"You think so hm?" 

He nodded. "With an attitude like yours, I'd guess that you've always gotten whatever it was that you wanted." 

Smirking, she stretched her long legs a little under the table. "You'd be wrong. I didn't actually get much of anything that I wanted until I started working for the firm. See? You're not so smart after all." 

Lilah's former office rival studied her for a moment. "I'll admit, that's kind of a surprise. You'd think that someone who's as much of a bitch as you are would be that way because they were someone's little rich brat." 

"Yeah, right." She shook her head. "My mother was a stripper and my step-father was an unemployed, alcoholic pedophile. And I prefer to think of myself as extremely assertive." 

The blunt statement had a surprisingly strong impact on him. Over the past few hours he'd been stuck with her. For the most part, he'd been able to regard her as the nuisance that she was. However, this revelation of her past was forcing him, if even for a moment, to think of her as a complete person with a complete history. The thought made him slightly uncomfortable. It was really much easier to deal with people as just another part of his life. When you delved into their motivations and their pasts, a link was forged. You were forced to acknowledge the fact that they shared with you the human condition. They were connected to you whether you wanted them to be or not. When you started viewing someone as a person, you could no longer interact indiscriminately with them. You couldn't look at them as something flat and two dimensional. In one way or another, emotions would end up attaching themselves to your view of them. Before, he had been able to view her as just a symbol of his previous life. Now, he'd have to feel something. Perhaps intense dislike, perhaps a kind of uneasy fellowship. This was going to be very tiring. 

***************************************************************************** 

A blue Chrysler, old and misused, drove slowly along the streets of the sleeping town. Its occupants, sharp-eyed, surveyed the area. It would only be a matter of time until they found their prey. They always did. There would be no mercy. There never was. The dreary rain continued to pour down, as though the night itself had sunk into a depressed monotony. With one hand on the wheel, the driver thought about the woman they would kill. Was she afraid? Would she scream and run, or would she go down fighting? He hoped for the second. There was always a greater satisfaction when the mission had been a challenge. 

***************************************************************************** 

"Alright McDonald. Now you know my great and tragic story. So let's hear yours." The brunette stared at him from across the table, her eyes boring into him with their unnerving confident gaze. 

"There's not much of it to tell." he leaned back a bit in the decrepit piece of furniture that was trying to pass itself off as a chair. "Small house, big family and the classic evil landlord who decided to foreclose." 

"You have brothers and sisters? Huh. More Lindseys running around. Now that's an unpleasant thought. Me, I was an only child. So what about your parents? I'm assuming you had some of those." 

"Yeah, I did. My mother died after she had my youngest sister." 

"And let me guess. Dad got his kicks out of beating on the kids?" 

After a pause, he lifted his gaze to hers. "No. He wasn't actually around all that much. He had two jobs." 

"Well." She took a sip of her drink. "That's better than a stepfather who has the time to go out and get drunk every night before..." she looked as though she was about to say more but immediately checked herself, quickly closing her mouth. Cursing herself in her head, she turned her gaze to the window pane. 

A heaviness hung in the air, wrapping itself around the pair. Lindsey could feel it clinging to him like some kind of filmy spider's web. Whether he'd wanted to or not, he was getting a sense of her life, and of her motivations. A part of him wanted to say that she was still the same evil bitch, and that no amount of history could excuse her actions. He hadn't forgiven himself for his own, so how could he forgive her? Of course, she hadn't asked for forgiveness. She likely didn't want it. However, another part of him, a part that had been more and more vocal since just before he'd left Wolfram and Hart, felt that it was only fair to offer it to her a chance at it all the same. Now, while her guard was down a little. After all, he wouldn't have started on his own admitably difficult path had he not been essentially smacked in the head by the idea that perhaps he ought to do so. 

Looking at her, he spoke. "Evil isn't so great when you're on the receiving end, is it?" 

Torn from her reminiscence, her head turned back toward him. "What?" 

"Sometimes people take a lot of hits when they're young, and one day they just snap." 

Images of blood and letter openers flashed in her head. 

"They decide that they're never going to get stepped on again. Instead, they're going to get to stepping on others. It may not be what they'd prefer to do, but they do it anyway, because the alternative is too much to bear anymore." he continued. 

Feeling as though her heart were being gripped and squeezed tightly within her chest, Lilah listened to him. 

"The only problem is, you end up becoming the thing that you're trying to escape. You become the demons that you feared, and so you're more trapped than you ever were. Because you can't escape from yourself." 

Suddenly, she rose to her feet, glaring at him. "Did I ask for an intervention? I don't need to hear any of this from you. I chose the path I'm on. I'm not some helpless damsel who needs rescuing." 

A glint of amusement lit his eyes. "No-one would make the mistake of calling you helpless Lilah. At least, not twice." 

Somewhat mollified, she relaxed a little. "I know that I'm evil. I admit, it wasn't what I'd planned, but it works for me. It gets me what I need." 

"Does it?" 

"Shut up. You're giving me a headache." 

"That's the alcohol." 

"No, I'm pretty sure it's you." She frowned. "I think I'm going to go to bed." 

Lindsey was satisfied by her response. In effect, she was retreating. He'd managed to get under her skin. Of course, there was no way of telling if it would continue to eat at her or if she would simply find a way to smooth over the barbs. One of her talents was the ability to simply smooth over set-backs in her mind. She'd come to work the day after losing a case and act as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Unless the case happened to involve a certain souled vampire. She would deny it, but he was certain that at one point Lilah had had a thing for Angel. Only people that she was interested in seemed to be able to really aggravate her. 

The man was incredibly aggravating, she decided. Who did he think he was, trying to play the hero with her? She marched over to the tiny closet by the door, finding a few hangers inside. Plucking two of them off of the bar and setting them on the doorknob, she unbuttoned her blouse. She certainly wasn't going to sleep in the clothes she would have to wear tomorrow. Modesty wasn't one of her attributes, so she would hang them and Lindsey would be smart enough not to try staring at her. Maybe. 

A second glance was definitely in order. Lindsey carefully looked in her direction, being careful not to alert her to his interest. Knowing Lilah, pain would likely descend swiftly on anyone caught with his eyes lingering where they ought not to. However, linger they did. The soft line of her back, and the finely shaped shoulder blades were surprisingly feminine and beautiful. The combination of her suits and her demeanor tended to force people to disregard those qualities in her, and focus on the ones she wanted to put forward instead, like her sharp mind, and her ruthlessness. Strange how it was here, in this dingy room in some God-forsaken motel off a strip of highway in Nowheresville, that she seemed to be more attractive than in her best designer clothes at a fancy Wolfram and Hart affair. His eyes continued on a natural course downward, taking in the curved hips, long legs and smooth skin. In the dim light she looked soft, and almost touchable. 

Lilah climbed into the bed, and began to sink slowly into sleep, still stewing over his audacity. Gradually, her eyes closed. Almost inaudibly, she mumbled "Stupid jerk... making me..." here, a yawn hit her. Then, she continued "making me...delve..." 

"Goodnight Lilah." 

"Night." 


	7. Flames

Part 7 

A few hours later, too few in her opinion, Lilah was roused from her sleep by Lindsey. 

"Lilah, we need to trade off. I'm about ready to fall asleep in those chairs, and that's saying something." he gestured with his hand, indicating the decrepit furniture, which was comparable in comfort to those found in an airport. 

"Five more minutes." she mumbled. 

"No more minutes. C'mon, get up." 

Lilah knew that he was completely in the right to be waking her, but she made a sound of annoyance all the same, just to make sure that he knew she wasn't happy about it. Slowly, she rose from the bed, smoothing her slightly tousled hair with one hand, and headed over to the closet to get dressed again. 

Almost immediately her former partner sat down on the bed and removed his own shirt, tossing it onto a nearby chair. She glanced at it with disapproval. 

"It's just going to get more wrinkled. You could have at least hung it up." Walking over, she picked up the discarded garment and hung it on a hanger, then placed it carefully in the closet. Turning to look for a response from him, she saw that he'd already fallen asleep. One eyebrow crept slowly upward as she looked at his shirtless torso. She hadn't known he liked to work out. Maybe that was new. He should keep doing it, she decided. After another moment, she walked over to the bed and carefully pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. Then, she sat down to wait. 

************************************************************************

The slamming of a car door suddenly drew her attention. Making a tiny part in the curtains, she saw the battered blue vehicle in the parking lot, and two men walking purposefully from it to the motel office. She cursed under her breath and got to her feet. If she made a run for it now, she could probably get out before they even saw her. Grabbing her shoes, she started to head for the door. There wasn't any time to wake up Lindsey. If she lingered, they were certain to find her. Besides, dealing with Lindsey might distract them long enough for her to make a get-away. However, she was shocked to find that she hesitated when her hand touched the doorknob. 

Lilah turned and looked at the sleeping figure in the bed. He didn't really deserve to be left to those creeps. He wouldn't even have been here if it weren't for her showing up. She frowned at herself for entertaining such silly, sentimental thoughts. 

"Come on Lilah," she muttered "just get out. Let him take care of himself." 

Yet she couldn't. Whether she liked it or not, she did give a damn about him. It was probably just because they'd spent so much time together recently, she told herself. People tended to get stupidly attached in cases such as these. Then again, they had known each other for a fairly long time. They'd done a lot of work together in the past, and he was probably one of the people who knew her best. He'd been her partner at one point, and they'd been through a lot. Even if they had been out to destroy one another. Sighing, she grabbed his shirt from the closet, then tossed his shoes at him. She smirked at the solid thwap as they hit him, and the confused curse that followed. If she had to be a goody goody, she'd be a bitch while doing so. 

Woken so suddenly from blissful slumber, Lindsey glared peevishly at his assailant. 

"Lilah, what the hell was that for? I swear to God, there had better be a good reason." 

"Oh stop whining. Unless you'd rather I'd have left you for our good buddies out in the parking lot to find." 

His brain lifted itself out of the haze of sleep in which it had been encased. "They found us?" 

"Yes. Well, they will find us soon. They went into the office, and I'm assuming it wasn't to have tea with the owner. Here." She tossed his shirt to him. "We have to get moving." 

As he pulled it on, he looked at her. He knew full well that she could have just taken off. Likely she was even tempted to do so, he thought. It would have been in her best interests to do so, as she would have been saving precious time. Putting his shoes on, he grabbed his wallet and keys off the small table. No time to quiz her on it right now. 

"Ok, come on. Maybe we can still get to the truck without them seeing us." 

Lilah nodded, then peered out the window once more, to check if the coast was clear. It wasn't. The two men were just exiting the office, headed right for their room. 

"Damn! Lindsey, they're coming this way." 

He frowned. There was no way for them to make a run for it without being spotted immediately. Thinking quickly, he dashed over to the armoire. His partner quickly picked up on his thoughts and ran over to help him. With effort, they managed to lodge the somewhat heavy piece of furniture up against the door, at such an angle that it would not be able to be opened. Moments later, they heard a loud pounding from the other side. 

Keeping silent, they each tried to find some kind of a weapon to use, just in case. Lilah grabbed the cheap table lamp while Lindsey wrangled the clothes bar free from the closet. 

"Lindsey," she murmured. "There's a small window in the bathroom, but it has bars on it. Other that that... this is the only way out." 

He nodded grimly. "So we're essentially stuck." 

"Essentially." 

"Well, this ought to be fun." 

"At least I'm not going to die alone." 

He looked at her, about to reply, when the pounding suddenly stopped. They looked at one another, deeply suspicious of the silence. Suddenly, a rock came hurtling through the window, smashing a hole in the smooth pane, and bringing with it a shower of glass shards. 

Lindsey grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back sharply from the window. "Lilah, are you ok?" 

"Yeah, but I think they're going to -" 

She was cut off as another projectile entered the room, through the hole created by the previous one. A flaming, bottle shaped projectile. It hit the aged carpet, and a horrible whooshing sound followed, as flames began to lick at the ratty surface. 

Still holding onto Lilah's shoulder, Lindsey took several rapid steps back, dragging her along with him. The duo retreated all the way into the tiny bathroom. Lilah slammed the door shut and then grabbed the thin cotton towels that were hanging on the rack. Catching her drift, her partner turned on the water in the bathtub. Lilah drenched the towels, and then stuffed them in the crack under the door, in order to block the smoke that had begun to drift in. 

Turning, she looked at him. "I'm sorry Lindsey." 

He furrowed his brow, trying to process that. Lilah Morgan was apologizing for something, and seemed to mean it. "You're sorry?" 

"Didn't I just say that? Anyway, yes, I'm sorry. I didn't intend to get you into this situation." 

"Well, we're in it all the same. So why don't we cut the sentimental chit chat and get out of here?" 

Sharply, she pointed her finger at the small barred window. "That's the only way out, and I don't happen to have any tools on me." 

He bit his lip and sat on the edge of the tub to think, leaning a little on the pole that he still clasped in his hand. Suddenly, he glanced at it and mentally gave himself a good swift kick. Quickly, he made his way to the window and slid the end of the pole in underneath some of the bars.  Lindsey pushed on the opposite end, using the pole as a lever. The bars began to creak and moan, the screws that held them into the wall obviously being strained. Coming to his side, Lilah placed her own hands on the pole, next to his. Shoulder to shoulder, hands brushing against one another, they combined their strength. 

All of a sudden, the bar grid came flying off with a crack. The lawyers, taken by surprise, were propelled forward by their momentum. They hit the wall in a tangle of bodies and limbs. For a moment, neither one of them moved. Lilah found herself looking him in the eyes. Inexplicably, her heart began pounding against the wall of her chest. She decided to blame adrenaline. 

The duo pulled apart, looking slightly abashedly at one another. Abruptly, Lilah turned and looked at the window. "Give me a boost up, and then I'll help pull you out." 

"Alright. But take off the shoes first. Those heels'll hurt." As Lilah removed the offending footwear, Lindsey moved to just below the window. "You ready?" 

The brunette nodded in reply, and grabbed onto the window sill. While she began pulling herself upward, Lindsey grabbed her waist and lifted. Soon, she was able to slide aside the pane of glass and get herself situated.. Then, she twisted her upper body and reached for his hand. 

************************************************************************

They trudged silently through the woods behind the hotel, the wet ground grasping at their feet. Behind them, the taunting cries of their predators rang through the night. Suddenly, Lilah stopped. 

"Lindsey," she murmured, "this is no good. We can't just keep running. They'll just keep coming after us." 

"Would you rather stay here and get shot?" 

"No. I think that we should fight back." 

"Oh, very good Lilah. We'll stay and throw rocks at the gun-carrying hired assassins." 

"They're going to find us. They'll just keep searching until they do, no matter where we go." 

He sighed then, knowing she was right. "Alright. So what have we got to work with?" The pair of them paused to search whatever possessions they had, in the hopes of finding a useful tool, as the sounds of the killers' steps drew ever nearer. 

************************************************************************

Lilah stood alone on the winding trail, shivering a little as a cool wind sifted through the trees and tickled her skin. "Lindsey? Lindsey? Where are you?" Only silence greeted her call. "Lindsey, come on. This isn't funny." There continued to be no reply. 

The man who watched her through the dense vegetation smirked. Poor little girlie, all lost and alone. Probably shaking in her nylons. Someone would have to go and take care of her. It would be unchivalrous to let her stay there all by herself after all. With a grin, he holstered his gun and drew his knife instead. Might as well take his time. Reg would find the guy, which meant he could spend all the time he liked with the woman. Grinning ferally, he moved toward his victim. 


	8. Down

Part Eight 

**Author's note:** Please excuse the long intervals between recent chapters. Since I am a university student, and have two jobs as well, I've had very little time for updates. I really do apologize for that, because I know that it's frustrating to have to wait months for a new chapter to a fic. PS: A shout out to Imzadi, who I'd like to thank for continued readership and support. It means a lot that you take the time to write me. 

Just a warning, this chapter gets a little dark, and may not be suitable for younger readers.   
  
  
  


The cool air tickled her skin as she stood alone in the darkness. Lindsey was nowhere in sight, but she could hear a slight rustling in the foliage that was certainly not the wind. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she stood waiting for the inevitable attack, not knowing when it would come. Cursing in her head, she wondered why she had let herself get talked into being the bait. Honestly, her former partner had managed to talk her into it even before she'd realized it. Not her best display of mental prowess, she had to admit. Suddenly, a man appeared on the path in front of her. Lilah took a step back, hoping to draw him out into the open a bit more. Leering, the stalky man advanced on her. He drew a knife from his belt, tilting it so that its blade gleamed in the shadows. 

"Alone at last." he quipped. 

"How original of you. I've never heard that one before". The dark-haired lawyer's tone was caustic, intended to provoke his ire. "And I'll bet that next you're going to tell me that you hope I scream or some similar kind of garbage. Well save it, ok? Because you're about as scary as bunny slippers. There's nothing sadder than an evil wannabe." 

"How about an evil has-been?" he snarled. 

She smirked. "You know, I'd be offended were that comment coming from anyone important." 

"Well girly, considering I'm the guy who's gonna kill you, I'd say I'm pretty damned important, wouldn't you?" 

"Oh, promises. You men are all talk and no kill. Let's get on with the murdering shall we? I have better things to do with my time than standing around and waiting for you." 

"What makes you think I'm gonna kill you right away? That wouldn't be anywhere near as much fun as what I have in mind." 

Her blood turned ice-cold as she took in those words. Images of a small bedroom and sweaty shame flashed through her mind; she saw them as clearly as she saw the man who stood before her. Then, steely anger settled in her like a heavy weight, and a hard glint came to her eyes. There was no way that she was going to let this man make her into a victim. Never again would she endure what she'd been forced to endure all those years ago. "You come near me," she began "and I'll kill you." The words came out without tone or feeling, and for the briefest of moments, her antagonist felt a remote sense of doubt. Blinking, he quickly banished the feeling. 

"I think you're forgettin' which of us outmuscles the other here. Plus, I've got this." He pointed the knife at her. "You, you've got nothin'. But I'll tell ya what. I'm going to make you a deal. You tell me where your little buddy is, and I'll make it nice and quick for you." 

"Screw you asshole." Even she was surprised by the speed and vehemence of her reply. 

"Well, no-one can say I didn't offer. Guess we do things the slow way." With surprising speed, he closed the gap between them and shoved her roughly against a tree. The rough bark scraped at her skin, and as he pressed her harder against it, she could feel it getting rubbed raw. The assailant grabbed the neck of her shirt and yanked at it, tearing the garment halfway open. Desperately, she jerked to the left, feeling the grating sensation of the bark along her skin, and toppled to the forest floor. Tingling with raw pain and somewhat stunned, she hesitated a moment before moving. It was a moment too long. 

In an instant, he was upon her, his weight pressing down, pinning her down in the dirt and dead leaves. Like a spider, one of his hands crept up along her body in an uninvited search, sliding beneath her clothes and creeping, serpentine, along her bare skin. She shuddered in disgust, her stomach churning at the thought of this man, this beast, touching her, here in the dirt and the dark. She couldn't die like this. It was filthy and degrading, and she wouldn't allow it. 

Leaning over her, he grinned. He could sense her revulsion and simultaneous fear. He relished them. Power. He had the power to invoke in her an emotion stronger than fear of death, and the power to penetrate her soul and tear things apart within it. For him, it had nothing to do with the physical; rather, it was the high that he got from the devastation of another human being. Pausing a moment, he looked down at his captive's face to fully drink in the moment. 

Observing his momentary pause, Lilah used it to her advantage. With a speed and strength born of an adrenaline rush, she wrenched a hand free. Cursing, the aggravated man strove to ensnare the offending limb. The young lawyer could feel the earth between her fingers as she clawed at the ground, searching blindly for a weapon, any weapon. Finally, she felt a largish stone against her palm. Hoping against hope, she quickly closed her fingers around the object, grasping it tightly. A cry of rage escaped her as she swung for his head. Reflex kicked in, and the man managed to move his head enough to avoid a shot to the temple. He did not, however, escape without harm. The blow made enough of a connection with his crown to send a jolt of pain surging through him, and caused him to see little black dots. 

"Aow! Goddam bitch!" Instinctively, he sat up a little, his right hand travelling to his head to assess any damage done. It was then that her palm was driven upward, into his jaw. He felt his head teeth rattle and his head snap back, and then the wrenching of her body beneath him as she twisted her way loose. His vision righted itself and he could see her scrabbling along the ground for his knife, which had fallen during their struggle. Swearing, he attempted to capture her legs and restrain her. His effort was rewarded with a vicious kick at his face, which he just barely managed to avoid. 

Lilah quickly closed the distance between herself and the blade, then seized it triumphantly. She leapt to her feet and steadied herself, tightening her grip on the weapon. Her attacker had just managed to get to his feet when she turned on him, arm drawn back. The knife flashed in the moonlight as it sang through the air, aimed for his heart. 


End file.
